Return to Spirit!
by NanamiHonda364
Summary: Chihiro can't decide to return to the spirit world or not, but can Kohaku live without her? Recently Updated for smoother reading!
1. Never Break A Promise

Chapter 1

Never Break a Promise!

"We'll see each other again."

"Promise?"

"Promise! Now go and don't look back!"

An empty promise made 6 years ago. Chihiro stood only a few feet from the tunnel into the spirit world. She was now 18 years old. Touching the familiar building, chips of paint falling onto her hands made her realize how old this place really was. The wind that once pulled her and her family in blew as strong as before begging her to enter, but still she did not enter. She looked down the dark tunnel and remembered how she and Kohaku fell though the air smiling when he told her his real name. A tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

"Promise?" she whispered.

She still remembered the last time they touched. Holding hands as he lead her to the exit. She fell to the soft ground sobbing.

"I know I can't come back but you promised! You promised me!"

Kohaku was standing in the bathhouse entrance. A sharp voice erupted from inside his head. Falling to the ground, he heard Chihiro sobbing.

"You promised! You promised me! If I knew it was going to hurt this much I would have been better off to never meet you!"

"Master Kohaku is you okay?" Chichiyaku, the bathhouse foreman asked.

"I fine. Now if you will excuse me I need some fresh air."

He walked down to the stone steps at the edge of town. This was where he had watched as Chihiro disappeared into the tunnel. He started to yell out but was stopped dead in his tracks when he saw a girl in a blue summer dress sitting in the middle of the lake. She had beautiful long brown hair and as the moon casted its light across her face, he saw that it was Chihiro. The girl got up and started to walk away.

"Ch-Ch-Chihiro?"

The girl began to head into the tunnel. Kohaku started to run after her but stopped at the river. "Not this time!"

He closed his eyes breathing as he shifted into his dragon form. He flew after he but the closer he got the further away she looked.

"_No this can't happen! This just can't!_" He roared.

Kohaku went all the way to where the tunnel began and looked down the tunnel until he saw a light. There bent down in the grass was the real Chihiro. She looked longingly at the tunnel.

"_Chihiro wait for me! Please don't leave me!"_He thought, wishing to speak!

He started to yell but knew she could not hear him. He watched in sadness as the girl got up and walked away.

_"Why did this happen am I connected to Chihiro? Can I see past the door? Chihiro please come see me!"_

Chihiro walked away from the tunnel thinking about what Kohaku had said to her.

"Go and don't look back!"

_Oh, I cannot go back no matter how much I want to!_

She left walking back up the trail that she had made connecting the tunnel to her house.

_I will never return to this place for it pains me so much to see it!_

She walked away her back to the tunnel up to her ordinary life, the one where she belonged.

That night she had many nightmares about Kohaku. She was walking through the tunnel and watched in terror as he fell 19 stories, and hit the ground with a thump! However, no matter how much she tried to reach him Kohaku would just get further and further away!

_No! No wake up this has to be a dream! Please don't die on me!_

She awoke with tears running down her face. She looked at the clock and saw that it was only 7:30 am. She quietly got out of bed and put on her blue summer dress and sandals.

She pulled her hair up loosely with the glowing band she had received many years ago as a present from granny and her friends, she walked carefully, so not to wake her parents, and slipped out the door and into the early morning.

Turning quickly down the path she stood in front of the tunnel. The wind pulling her ever so closer to the other side, finally she took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"I am coming to see you, no matter what you say Kohaku! I'm coming to see you!"


	2. Return to Me

Chapter 2

Return to me!

Kohaku awoke with a start. She was coming! He could feel it. He ran all the way to the stairs and watched. He stood for what seemed like hours until he saw a head followed by a body emerging from the tunnel, the sun shown brilliantly upon Chihiro as she began to walk towards the bathhouse. Kohaku felt his heart wavier at the lovely woman she had become.

Chihiro looked around the corner of the wall. The streets lined with shops and restaurants for the spirits.

_Wow! It's just like when I saw it the first time!_

She walked slowly up the path until she reached the bathhouse. Kohaku had ran down from his top floor room and was watching her more closely from another window.

Chihiro laughed in spite of all the horrible things that had happened there. She looked over at the giant post lamp in front of the bathhouse and saw that it was still running. Walking up to the bridge where she first met Kohaku she looked over the railing and watched as the train that took her to Zeniba's rushed under her, blowing her lose ends into her face. Then she raced over to the other side. She leaned over the railing, placing her hands on the railing. Her knee bumped into something hard.

"I don't remember this here."

Bending down she saw that all along the bridge carvings of a girl; working, eating, and sleeping, but the one that caught her attention the most was a carving of the girl riding a dragon.

"What? Are these carvings of…? No it couldn't be!"

She walked over the bridge and crawled through the small door that lead to the garden.

"I think I'll go see the boiler man."

As she was making her way down the stairs, she laughed in spite of herself and remembered when she had first come there and it took her all of 10 seconds to run screaming down the stairs. When she reached the door that lead to the boiler room, she opened it to the snores of Kamajii.

As she walked in all the black soot balls ran out to her.

"Oh! Hello, do you mind holding on to my shoes?"

They squeaked and took away her sandals. She decided not to wake Kamajii but went to the elevator and into the kitchen. She was starting to feel a bit hungry, and knew that if she ate some of the food, she could blend in easily. As Chihiro ate she heard a small noise.

"Hello? Who is in there eating at this time?" Aniyaku, the manager poked his head into the kitchen. "A HUMAN! Come on you must go to the head master!"

_Head master? Is Yubaba not in charge here anymore?_

"Excuse me sir but is Yubaba not the head of this place?"

"Oh she hasn't been back from her mission is 6 years."

"But why did she leave? What mission?"

"I don't see why it's any of your business, but yes, she left to find a treasure, but it was said that the treasure was cursed. We all believe that Yubaba didn't make it back because of the curse."

"Oh that's horrible. Say do you remember a girl named Sin?"

"Yes, she made it so happy here for everyone. Even the spirits are happy that she came to this world. If only she would come back to visit us but she is probably old and grown by now. "

Chihiro laughed at the thought! "Oh Aniyaku, I am Sin, well Chihiro! I am not old and gone I came back to see you!"

"Well then this is even a better reason to see the Head Master!"

"By the way you don't mind me asking who he is, right?"

"Oh you will find out when you get there!"

It had been a long time since she had been there but she found herself in front of the tall doors.

"Go on in Chihiro he is waiting!"


	3. The Hearts True Form

Chapter 3

The Hearts True Form

She slowly entered the office door. Walking through each room, she was once dragged through. She saw that each room had been changed to more beautiful, peaceful rooms. The rooms were all different, each themed after a different ecosystem. Her favorite was one of the last rooms she went through. It was blue like the ocean. It had pictures of a dragon swimming through the water. It almost seemed that it was swimming behind the wallpaper. She smiled as she thought of how she rode on his back that night, how his slender body rippled like a flowing stream.

She had entered the hallway that lead to the main office. The lights were dimmer and the walls painted a golden yellow. It seemed enchanting and haunting at the same time. She felt like running back to the tunnel, but the frog's voice kept coming back into her head.

"_He'll be so glad to see you!"_

She slowly started to walk forward, gradually, until she reached the big door. Inside she heard the fire crackling and someone moving around. She opened the door a crack and looked in. On the floor was someone picking up books that had fallen from a shelf. She opened the door slowly all the way and watched as the young man picked up the books and put them back on the shelf. His silver-blue hair fell beautifully to his shoulders, he was taller then she remembered, leaner, more muscular. Chihiro could not take her eyes off him. She couldn't talk she just stared at him. As he turned around, she quickly shut the door and left only but a crack to hear him. The boy set down and started to think aloud.

"Maybe that wasn't her. Boy I am glad I didn't met that woman at the steps because that would have been embarrassing to run up and hug a human I don't know and tell her that I loved her!"

Chihiro started to get up and bust into the office, to be embraced by his warm embrace. She had finally heard what she had been longing to hear in their time apart.

_If only I could but I could never stay here in this world. I have no right to cause him more pain, after he did so much for me. I know he loves me and that's good enough. _

She slowly got off the floor and started to walk back down the hall. She heard the door behind her open. She stopped dead in her tracks, frozen by fear or longing she didn't know. She turned slowly. Their eyes met and she couldn't look away.

"Ch-Ch-Chihiro?"

She felt her heart jump at her name. "I'm Sorry. I wasn't supposed to come back. I know you told me that, but I just….I'm sorry!"

She ran off through the rooms. All along the way, she could hear Kohaku yelling for her. She knew it would be easier if she just left and soon.

_I don't want to break his heart but if I hugged him or kissed him, it would make it even harder to say goodbye, but I do love him, but I must go I just can't stay._

Her mind fought against itself as she ran. Tears rolled down her cheek as she rode the elevator down and dashed to the door. The shops blurred as she hurried to the field, but it had already begun to shift into a monstrous river. Chihiro fell to the ground the harsh words that haunted her dreams returning to memory.

"_Go and don't look back!" _They were said gently, but she felt the weight of it all.

Then to her surprise, those harsh words were washed over with the joy she had recently discovered.

"…_and tell her that I loved her!" _

She fell to the ground tripping on a rock and didn't bother getting up. She cried for what seemed like forever until she finally passed out from exhaustion. Chihiro slowly sank into the darkness as a dream floated but from the depths.

_She had returned to the spirit world and ran all the way to the bathhouse to see Kohaku, only to find him standing on the bridge with his arm around another girl! The scene melted away to blackness as she turned and ran, tears staining the front of her face. She didn't turn back but heard a voice calling out to her. "Chihiro? Chihiro? Are you okay"_

_She turned to answer him. "Why did you send me away? I didn't want to leave! You know I wanted to stay with you. I LOVE YOU! I really do so why did you send me away? Do you not love me at all?!" The blackness once again fell into silence and she was alone with her tears._

She awoke wet and cold in the morning light. She remembered that she had fallen, and pushed herself to her feet. He hadn't come for her, Chihiro smiled sadly as she turned back to look at the bathhouse for the final time. She was going home and this time for good. She made her way slowly to the tunnel. Suddenly stopping in her tracks, there leaning against the entrance she noticed a young man sitting, asleep.

_He looks like he is waiting for someone._

She walked up to him and set down beside him. She looked into the face of the sleeping Kohaku,

'_He had meant what he had said_.'

She looked into his face, she notice that there was a hair in his face, she didn't want to bother him, but she couldn't help herself. Her hand had a life of its own as she reached up and ran her hand through his long silver-gray hair. She smiled at how much she had grown to love a man she knew she could not have. She put her head on his shoulder falling asleep with a smile on her face.

When she awoke, it was dark and all the lights were on. She watched from the dark corner Kohaku had set in as the boat come in and out carrying spirits. She pulled her body closer to his and felt the warm comfort of his arm against hers. Suddenly she felt the arm move and place itself around her.

"Are you comfy?"

She jumped up and turned to look at Kohaku. He gazed at her, his blue eyes sparked a bit as he smiled down at her. When had he gotten so tall?

"Why did you follow me? I told you I was leaving!"

"And yet here you sit, close to me. You could have left. You could have gone home and forget me, but somehow I knew even if you left you would come back, even if you had left you wouldn't forget me."

Chihiro felt anger rise, boiling up from all those years she was left alone.

"Well than if you think that then I will just leave and prove I can forget you!"

She turned to leave walking to the tunnel. Suddenly a hand grabbed hers.

"I told you…"

She had turned to tell him off, however, she stopped for at that moment Kohaku had leaned forward and placed a warm kiss upon her lips. He pulled away and she stood there looking at him. Tears began to fall from her eyes as she fell into his arms.

" I-I-I just knew that if I saw or met you again that it was going to hurt me so much when I had to go back home! I didn't want to see you or believe that I had heard you tell me that you loved me because I wouldn't be able to leave you."

He held her tightly in his arms. Looking down, Kohaku had never felt what he was feeling now. He felt guilty; guilty for making her sad, for making her life hard, and leaving her alone after he promised to come see her. He slowly pulled Chihiro to her feet. Letting go of her warmness was harder than it should have been.

"If you want me to I will erase your memory so you can go home and live without the memory of this place."

Chihiro looked up at him. He really did love her but she had to go home and he knew that, but still he wanted her to be happy.

She slowly got up and walked to the tunnel, looking back over her shoulder she smiled.

_Goodbye._

She turned to leave walking slowly up the hill thinking to herself all the way home.

_I knew that I shouldn't have gone to the spirit world. I don't belong there. I can never stay permanently. I knew if I saw him, it would be horrible for me. I cannot go back now even though…_

It was midday now in the human world and she could see her parents walking around franticly looking around and yelling her name. She walked back up to her house a few tears falling from her face as she went.

Back in the spirit world, Kohaku stood for a while after she had gone beyond his sight. He knew he would never see her again so he turned to walk back to the bathhouse. This is what she wanted.

When he arrived, he met the frog that had let her in.

"Master did you see the girl? I found her in the kitchen. Wasn't she the girl that you have been waiting to come?"

"Shut up! If any other human comes bring them straight to me and I will have their memories erased and send them back to their world!"

Kohaku was more upset now than he had ever been in his entire life. He didn't want it to end like this. It couldn't end like this!

"She is mine and I am going to get her back! Our connection is so deep that it transcends that silly barrier!"


	4. Return to Loving Arms

Kohaku closed his eyes and thought hard about Chihiro.

He saw her sitting at her desk. Chihiro was writing her parents a note.

_Mom and Dad,_

_I'm sorry about leaving so suddenly, but I can't stay apart from him anymore. I know that you always told me that he was just something that I had made up from that time, but he isn't! I know now that we are meant to be together, because we were able to meet again. I love him more than anything else!_

_I'm sorry!_

Kohaku smiled as he blinked, his office coming back into view. She was coming!

She left the note by the door and pulled along the suitcase she had packed and walked down the path to the tunnel.

She crossed through the tunnel and walked up onto a grassy hill. Sitting down to breath awhile she began to think back to her fight with Kohaku.

_Had he really wanted her to be so happy that he was willing to erase his and her memories of each other to ease the pain? No, stop this! I do love him and I don't care about anything else right now!_

She stood up and walked up the stairs heading up to the bridge. She stood still looking at the entrance waiting for Kohaku to rush to her with open arms, but still no one came. She wondered over to the edge of the bridge and gazed down at the railroad tracks. She began to hum a song and enjoyed the breeze that lifted her hair around her face. She felt someone walk up behind her and she turned meeting blue eyes.

_This time I am not running from you! I promise I am here to stay!_

She took one-step forward and was met in the warm embrace of Kohaku's arms. The embrace was warm and love filled into her heart. She looked up into his eyes and closed them as she leaned up and kissed him on the lips. She felt the warm sensation spread from her lips. Kohaku felt her sigh as he deepened the kiss. Years of longing and desire had built up, and finally he was able to hold her in his arms and enjoy her warm kisses. They finally separated from each other still holding onto the hug.

"I am sorry that I left you I didn't want to hurt you because I knew I would have to leave you again."

"Then why have you returned?"

"I found out that love is more important to me than anything else in the world. I want to stay here with you forever. We were meant to be, and I'm sure that I will be able to live here happily. As long as I'm with you I know I can be happy!"

"Come with me I want to show you something."

They walked across the bridge and looked back to the bathhouse. Kohaku leaned over as the lights came on, illuminating the bathhouse and the village. Kohaku pointed to a corner of the bathhouse that Chihiro had never seen before.

"That is a wing I had built just for us."

She smiled and leaned into him, standing up on her tip toes she placed a kiss gently on his cheek.

"Welcome home Chihiro."

"I'm home." She liked the sound of that. They leaned in close again sharing a kiss, still wrapped within their lover's arms.

Dear Readers,

Well we reached the end! I hope you enjoyed it all! :)


End file.
